Battered Carriers Face Additional Challenges

Surviving 2000 was a praiseworthy feat for a truckload carrier, but companies that have made it this far cannot coast through the year.

A group of industry executives and analysts said the purging of weak firms is not yet at an end, and that careful management and clever investment are still essential for a company that wants to see its trucks on the road in 2002.

Managers are squeezing out costs, leaning on shippers for fuel surcharges or rate increases and scrutinizing technologies and rival companies to see which are worth buying and which should be ignored.

For the full story, see the April 2 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.